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 A
momentary lack of concentration cost Wycombe the chance to top Division Two for
the first time ever. Leading 1-0 with nine minutes left on the clock, The
Hatters sprung the ball in from the right side and Hatters substitute Tresor
Kandol got there first to loop a header over Martin Taylor.Wycombe had taken a 17th minute lead when Steve Brown followed up his own penalty that had been turned onto the post by Hatters 'keeper Mark Ovendale. However, if Wycombe are honest, Luton's late equaliser was no less then the visitors deserved as the lads who battled so well at Millwall on Saturday faded away in the second-half. Wycombe started with an unchanged line-up to the one at The New Den and had a early chance when Jamie Bates' thundered free-kick into the Luton wall. However, Luton showed their potential under new Manager Ricky Hill, when Andre Scarlett crossed from the right in the 8th minute and Liam George should have done a lot better with a free header at the far post. Four minutes later Matthew Taylor forced is namesake in the Wycombe goal to save after the Luton striker had fired in a low shot from 30 yards out on the left. Wycombe broke out of their shell in the 16th minute and promptly took the lead. The two Steve's, Brown and Jones, exchanged headers in the Luton penalty area and when Emmerson Boyce impeded Andy Baird, our friend Fraser Stretton had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Brown confidently put his spot kick to the same side as his conversion against Northampton but this time £450,000 signing Ovendale did brilliantly to push the ball onto the post. The luck then shined on Wycombe as the ball flew across the face of the goal and Brown was alert to sweep the ball into the net. The goal knocked the visitors off their stride and a minute later Wycombe should have had another penalty when Michael Simpson was held back but Stretton decided otherwise. At this point the official was getting some real stick from Luton's 1,200 following at Adams Park and he gave another heading shaking decision to his collection when he awarded a corner to Wycombe when Jermaine McSporran mis-kicked a shot wide in the 31st minute. For good measure, Stretton then booked Simpson for a 40th minute two footed challenge on Scarlett despite the Wycombe player clearly taking the ball. Wycombe finished the half on top when Chris Vinnicombe's right footed cross from the left was met by Jones at the far post but his flicked header was saved by Ovendale. Half-time Wycombe 1 Luton 0 A sceond goal for Wycombe at this stage could have sealed victory and it nearly came six minutes after the re-start. Steve Jones crossed deep from the right bye-line and Baird's header at the far post went just wide of the target. It proved to be Wycombe's last assault towards the Valley End as the play switched to the other end. In the 65th minute Luton's Paul McLaren was presented with a glorious opportunity to put the visitors level. He found himself with just Martin Taylor to beat from 15 yards but to the dismay of the Luton contingent he sliced his shot wide of Taylor's left hand upright. After that miss it looked like the luck was going to shine on Wycombe and with the news that Peterborough were losing at home to Swansea, a place at the top of the table. But with the clocking ticking down Wycombe's defence was caught flat footed and Kandol, who had only been on the pitch for three minutes, was delighted to see his header fly over Taylor. It's now nine games against The Hatters without a win with the added frustration of missing out on going top. That would have been a bonus but Wycombe have put in a solid start against sides that are no push-overs. Unbeaten after four games - 3rd in the table - pretty respectable when you consider the number of key players missing. Full-time Wycombe 1 Luton 1
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